Does Everything Happen for a Reason?

[mm356]

First off, my apologies if this thread rehashes old material - please post links to those if it does - but I’ve been tossing this around and none of the free will discussions I’ve seen yet (which have been few, I admit) have directly addressed it.

My question is simple: Does everything happen for a reason?

I hear this a lot, but after pondering it more, I’m wondering if there is an official Catholic stance on this or if it is open to individual interpretation. Of course it feels good to say that yes, everything in life does happen for a reason, but my gut seems to think that that line of thinking would infringe upon human free will. However, some miraculous things also happen in life that don’t appear to have anything to do with free will, so it seems as though there’s a middle ground between God the puppetmaster and God the innocent bystander. I’m just looking for some kind of direction as two where to draw that line, if it’s indeed possible to do so.

A couple of examples:

A random murder happens to a good, holy man. Although his family may learn a lot from this situation and grow from it, it still appears to me to be the product of free will of the murderer and not necessarily attributable to divine intervention. (Perhaps both?)

However, if an airplane flies head-on into the side of a mountain and all passengers survive, this appears to be divine intervention and appears as though God must have a plan for those on board.

I know I’m rambling - I’m not the philosophical type. Just throwing out some rumblings to get some feedback from those of you who are better skilled in this area than I am. Basically, can free will coexist with God having a divine plan in life for each of us? Thanks!

 

[rinnie]

Yes there is a reason for everything.

 

[Hastrman]

I know I’m rambling - I’m not the philosophical type. Just throwing out some rumblings to get some feedback from those of you who are better skilled in this area than I am. Basically, can free will coexist with God having a divine plan in life for each of us? Thanks!

God’s plan takes your free will into account. You’ve got to realize, an omniscient being that’s outside time isn’t “planning” in our sense of the word. There’s no future for God, nor past.

 

[mschrank]

That’s a good question, I was thinking about it the other day.

Is everything that happens “God’s will”? What kind of role does contingency play in the Catholic conception of causation and the order of things?

 

[davidv]

That’s a good question, I was thinking about it the other day.

Is everything that happens “God’s will”? What kind of role does contingency play in the Catholic conception of causation and the order of things?

If sin is not doing God’s will. And sin exists. Then not all that happens is God’s will, since some of what happens is the result of sin.

 

[bilop]

If sin is not doing God’s will. And sin exists. Then not all that happens is God’s will, since some of what happens is the result of sin.

We have to distinguish between God’s active will and God’s permissive will. God allows us to exercise free will which leads to lots of sin and bad actions. This is His permissive will; he allows it but does not wish it. God’ active will is things like: God wills all people to believe in Him and be saved and God willed to become incarnate and to die for our sins.

Hope that helps,

God Bless

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Everything happens for a reason, but that is not the same as God’s will. Your free will allows options which may affect others (as your murder) however these options come with a reason. Let us have your murder kill a new born, now did the baby lose? No the baby is in heaven or back on earth if God wills such. Did the babies family lose? We will see because it is not what happens to them (loss of the baby) but what they did which counts. I know a women who last 2 or 3 children in a row (before birth) she says she was angry, very angry, with God and everybody. She now teaches in the Church she now accepts her children are fine and are where God placed them.

 

[catharina]

…

My question is simple: Does everything happen for a reason?

…

We might say that everything happens for some reason, known or unknown to us.

At the heart of your question though might be this answering Scripture:

“All things work together for the good for those who love the Lord.”

Yep - and the Church definitely teaches that.

 

[rinnie]

Everything happens for a reason, but that is not the same as God’s will. Your free will allows options which may affect others (as your murder) however these options come with a reason. Let us have your murder kill a new born, now did the baby lose? No the baby is in heaven or back on earth if God wills such. Did the babies family lose? We will see because it is not what happens to them (loss of the baby) but what they did which counts. I know a women who last 2 or 3 children in a row (before birth) she says she was angry, very angry, with God and everybody. She now teaches in the Church she now accepts her children are fine and are where God placed them.

And that my friend is what you call true Faith.

 

[Archerette74]

Everything does happen for a reason, but not God’s reason.

God gave us free will. So everything that happens has a reason - The reason is that somebody caused it by a decision they made. Everything that happens is a consequence of a decision that somebody, or a group of somebodys, made somewhere, sometime.

God can use all of those consequences as a means to bring us closer to him. He is always calling us to turn to him. So when something dramatic happens to an individual, due to consequences of a decision they or somebody else made, they might turn to God for answers or direction. And lo and behold, He is always there waiting!

So while the reasons are not God’s (except in miraculous situations) the answers are of God.

 

[rinnie]

Everything does happen for a reason, but not God’s reason.

God gave us free will. So everything that happens has a reason - The reason is that somebody caused it by a decision they made. Everything that happens is a consequence of a decision that somebody, or a group of somebodys, made somewhere, sometime.

God can use all of those consequences as a means to bring us closer to him. He is always calling us to turn to him. So when something dramatic happens to an individual, due to consequences of a decision they or somebody else made, they might turn to God for answers or direction. And lo and behold, He is always there waiting!

So while the reasons are not God’s (except in miraculous situations) the answers are of God.

I agree 100% but it is only God that can take these dramatic things and some how some way bring something good out of them.

 

[BlaineTog]

I would say that not everything happens for a reason (as in, for God’s reasons), but God makes everything become a reason. If you sin, that was against God’s plan, but he will roll with it and find a way to make some greater good come out of your sin.

 

[Marsha_Adams]

God gave us free will. So everything that happens has a reason - The reason is that somebody caused it by a decision they made. Everything that happens is a consequence of a decision that somebody, or a group of somebodys, made somewhere, sometime.

A bird ate a seed and flew a long distance and eliminated the seed near the bank of a river. The seed fell onto soft ground and germinated and took root. The resulting plant was a tree and it grew by the river for many, many years. One day, lightening struck the tree and one of its huge branches fell into the flooded river and was swept down stream. The power of the flood was so great that the river overflowed its banks sweeping an innocent bystander into the water where he was struck and killed by the tree branch.

Not everything that happens is the consequence of a decision. Some things for better or worse are the result of blind dumb luck.

Now the Bible says that before Noah’s flood there was no rain only dew, so you could say the scenario above was the direct result of sin that occurred before Noah’s time.

 

[ilovekittens]

When a five year-old boy develops an excruciating cancer of the right femur - and months later dies of the tumor - what is the reason? Punishment for spitting out his broccoli? Original sin? I don’t see any reason for such a thing to happen to anyone, especially an entirely innnocent child.

When 100,000+ in Indonesia are drowned by a tsumani, what is the reason? “God’s will?”

 

[rinnie]

When a five year-old boy develops an excruciating cancer of the right femur - and months later dies of the tumor - what is the reason? Punishment for spitting out his broccoli? Original sin? I don’t see any reason for such a thing to happen to anyone, especially an entirely innnocent child.

When 100,000+ in Indonesia are drowned by a tsumani, what is the reason? “God’s will?”

I can personally tell you that the answer is Yes. Because my brother was 39. It will be 4 years ago in July that God took him. Am i happy no. Did God give him the brain tumor. No. Did God take his pain away. Yes. He took him home. Why Was he to suffer the way he did? All i can tell you is that he did. And all through it he said if i am to beat this I will. If i am to die its Gods Will. He said i believe in God enough to let him take over. And God did he took over.

 

[ilovekittens]

I can personally tell you that the answer is Yes. Because my brother was 39. It will be 4 years ago in July that God took him. Am i happy no. Did God give him the brain tumor. No. Did God take his pain away. Yes. He took him home. Why Was he to suffer the way he did? All i can tell you is that he did. And all through it he said if i am to beat this I will. If i am to die its Gods Will. He said i believe in God enough to let him take over. And God did he took over.

That’s awful. But at least your brother was an adult and could understand what was happening to him, if not why. But for a 5 year-old child to suffer an agonizing cancer of the bone for nearly a year until his untimely death just makes no sense at all. I am Catholic, but situations like this really try my faith. Using “God’s will” as an excuse doesn’t make things any more clear or acceptable. If God is good and created this universe, why would He allow such random instances of horrific suffering to occur?

 

[rinnie]

That’s awful. But at least your brother was an adult and could understand what was happening to him, if not why. But for a 5 year-old child to suffer an agonizing cancer of the bone for nearly a year until his untimely death just makes no sense at all. I am Catholic, but situations like this really try my faith. Using “God’s will” as an excuse doesn’t make things any more clear or acceptable. If God is good and created this universe, why would He allow such random instances of horrific suffering to occur?

I guess the only reason i can tell you is read the book of job. The devil can do anything he wants to us to try to get us away from God. Or to shake our faith. But the evil does not come from God. God is the one who comes in at the last minute and takes all of it away. God does allow evil, spell evil backwards to live. That is probally what it is all about. To choose. It would have been so easy to say God doesnt exist becasue if he did why didnt he cure my brother. But see he did cure my brother. I just didnt see it at the time. He took his pain away. And in this world we are going to suffer. I learned that day its all in the Lords Prayer. Thy Kindom come Thy will be Done On Earth as it is in Heaven. Its him All him. The devil is so mean and will stop at nothing remember God told him he can do anything but take away our free will. ITs all to get us away from GOd.

 

[rinnie]

And trust me if you think a child suffering is bad, and i agree its horrible, you should have seen my Mother and Father holding my brother helpless watching him die. Trust me the pain for me was just as bad, and to them if the child is 5 or 39 the pain is just as bad. its still your child.

 

[kim3260]

And trust me if you think a child suffering is bad, and i agree its horrible, you should have seen my Mother and Father holding my brother helpless watching him die. Trust me the pain for me was just as bad, and to them if the child is 5 or 39 the pain is just as bad. its still your child.

Agree, I watched the painful scene of my 78 year old MIL holding her dying 54 year old daughter. That was 1994, MIL passed in 2003, but she trusted that it was God’s will, till the day she died.
As for the OP, I must say yes, if we listen and pay attention. For example a parent with a sickly child might go deeper into his faith or the other way. As for the child suffering, I can’t say, only God knows why, we must watch the signs along the path to eternal life.
For example have you ever “not able to find those darn keys” find them, get into your car angry at yourself only to find out a major accident occured a few minutes ago and it could have been you.
Now there were people hurt (even maybe a fatalitiy), But that’s God’s will and not for us to interfere. That being said God is always putting out many signs each and everyday for all of us, it is our free will as to whether or not we SEE it.

 

[rinnie]

kim You Got it. And trust me IT wasnt easy. And it still isnt. I myself sometime cry everyday. I miss him so much. And my Mother and Dad will never get over it. But they get thru it. Its all about God. If it wasnt for him forget it. I asked my Dad one time why, why the good ones Dad. He said because the devil already has the bad ones… He wants us. the ones who believes in God. He wants us away from God. Some people he knows their weakness is booze so he tempts them with that, some drugs, some sex, whatever. ITs all in the bible. No matter what God can beat him. And so can we with God. But we are going to fight him every day. And whatever he has to do to get us away from God he will try. If its a child, hurting your whole family he will try. No limits for evil. Thats is why i personally believe we are here. To choose God or satan. And we do it every day. And its hard, thats why people have such a hard time in life they think some day its going to get easy, no problems, trust me i learned the hard way, they are comming. Get ready and Get God, Good times are few bad are many. But now i know thats why this isnt Heaven. But if we do good and keep choosing God, even if we fail and repent and are sorry and learn we got a good shot at getting in. We have to wait for our day.